


Suncatcher

by lovefoolthatsme



Category: NCT (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Accidental Felon Aquisition, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Magic, Dark Fantasy, Established Relationship, Las Vegas, M/M, Making Out, Multi, On the Run, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:34:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22174132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovefoolthatsme/pseuds/lovefoolthatsme
Summary: “So Jaehyun.” Goosebumps. “You’ve tricked me into spending all my money in one night.” Seokmin glances up at him with mischief heavy in his voice. “How are you going to make up for it?”
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Seokmin | DK, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Seokmin | DK, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Seokmin | DK/Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun
Comments: 16
Kudos: 52
Collections: Haggly Holidays!





	Suncatcher

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pinkwinwin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkwinwin/gifts).



> A massive thank you to the wonderful mods who organised this exchange <3
> 
> Shauna, I really hope you enjoy these wonderful fae boys and that I've managed to capture at least a little bit of the magic you deserve! <3 
> 
> This bad boy also comes with a [playlist!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0nzEY37WkLATpfvmYCedwz?si=cke-wX0vRLeEHRI8_e8J_Q)

Jaehyun feels more than hears the soft clicking of the playing cards as he runs his thumb over the corner of the deck. Loud buzzers and looping jingles from the surrounding casino drown out everything apart from the pretty blonde who’s currently batting her eyelashes at him. Jaehyun makes polite conversation, practically the same script he follows at least 30 times a night, 4 nights a week. At least the robotic repetition of it all is enough to lull him into a state, one where he doesn’t want to bang his head against the game table every time a middle aged woman with a knock off Louis Vuitton bag asks him what he’s doing after the end of his shift.

The blonde clears her throat and Jaehyun starts laying out the deck with practised ease, hands moving of their own accord until manicured fingers stops his. Without thinking, Jaehyun pulls back and glances up at her with more obvious annoyance than what’s strictly employee regulation. He isn’t sure whether she giggles at him out of shock or victory. 

“Sorry angel, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she smiles at him apologetically. 

Long blonde curls fall over her shoulders and yet struggle to compete with the low swoop of her dress. Jaehyun barely registers the glittering jewels in her ears or blood red lipstick that matches her purse. She could be any girl on any given Thursday night; not his type.

He hums at her in response before returning to the deck of cards. It’s certainly not the first time he’s been not so subtly flirted with, in fact, his annoyance at the situation comes more from the predictability of it all. It’s not even like it’s an indication of his attractiveness to say that he’s grown used to being groped on a nightly basis; something about the bow tie and wanting to see him in nothing but the bow tie. Much like everything else in Vegas, Jaehyun is thrill, an impermanence that stays here when they leave.

Confusion washes over her face at being quite literally brushed off. The pretty facade sits like a skewed mask on her features now, as she grapples clumsily for an excuse, obviously not used to or prepared for being ignored.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t even thinking. My friends tell me I’m like a magpie, always getting distracted by shiny things,” she laughs as she eyes the pair of silver rings on Jaehyun’s fingers. 

He has to exercise an inhuman amount of self control not to roll his eyes. Instead he puts down the last card and place both his palms on the table. “How much you betting?” When the response doesn’t come, he looks up at her again, only to find her sitting chin in palm, staring at him as if he’s some foreign species. Her brown eyes don’t waver even as Jaehyun starts shifting, obviously uncomfortable.

“Okay,” she says simply, flashing a knowing smile before strutting away from the table without a single explanation.

It’s not unusual for him to deal with patrons who make a big show of glamour and wealth, only to have a few dollars left in a previously impressive bank account. This, however, doesn’t explain the woman’s abrupt departure or, for a matter of fact, the way it felt like her gaze pierced right through him, as if the filing cabinets in his mind are still pulled open in her wake. Jaehyun is left to stare on in complete bafflement at the situation. He tries to ignore the embarrassing way his heart rate picked up at the slightest hint of something out of the ordinary. He needs to get out more, a silent mantra he’s been repeating to himself ever since he realised he could tell which state a visitor was from within a minute of them sitting down at his table.

He huffs a self deprecating laugh for good measure, before sweeping all the cards back into his palm.

Jaehyun is still busy feeling sorry for himself when a young man slides into the abandoned seat, scaring the life out of him. He yelps and automatically apologises to the stranger-immediately admonishing himself when he remembers that one John Mulaney skit that he promised himself he would never become.

“It’s ok. You’re right, I was the one pouring metaphorical soup in your lap.” The man’s voice is pleasant, a gentle tone that contrasts delightfully to the chirp of the blonde’s, and his eyes twinkle with laughter as he gives Jaehyun a slow once over. 

Jaehyun gapes openly at the man who somehow just read his mind, before realising with embarrassing clarity that he had probably said everything out loud in the midst of his shock. Before he could stumble over a second apology, the man leans forwards and lowers his voice conspiratorially.

“Is she a friend of yours?” He’s smirking at Jaehyun like he already knows the answer.

“Who? The blonde?” He nods. “No she’s- actually I’m not sure who she is.”

“Oh good.” Jaehyun tells himself that the way his heart rate picks up is just a byproduct of the shock, and definitely has nothing to do with how brightly the man is smiling at him now.

Nothing about rich young men gambling away trust fund money is an extraordinary occurrence, but it is very rare to see one so completely unbothered about losing said money. The man just grins at him as he slides more chips towards Jaehyun, long slender fingers easily wrapping around the stacks of plastic cash. He’s peering up at Jaehyun from where his chin is resting on his palm- Jaehyun gets a fleeting sense of deja vu; something to do with long eyelashes and brown eyes. No not brown; this man’s eyes are more like a sea green, almost a deep blue when the light hits him just right. He chokes on a breath when he realises he’s just been staring into the stranger’s eyes for just a little too long, hand rested on top of his instead of a stack of poker chips. 

“Is it casino policy to flirt with your patrons? Or am I a special case,” he pauses to read his name tag, “Jaehyun.” The way the man says his name, like it tastes delicious in his mouth, sends a shiver down Jaehyun’s spine. 

Jaehyun chuckles nervously. “I’m not sure what you mean.” He flashes what he hopes is his best, most innocent dimpled smile only to be rewarded with perhaps the most devastating pout he’s ever seen.

“Oh I see, you’re just trying to empty my wallet.” His tone is teasing but Jaehyun has the inexplicable urge to hand him back every cent he lost. They continue like this for a little while longer, Jaehyun unavoidably getting distracted by every new little detail he notices. The man looks about his age but his eyes seem wise and childlike at the same time. He wears his hair in a tousled boyish style but every strand seems dipped in gold, just like the rest of him.

A few thousand dollars later and Jaehyun finally has the courage to ask him for his name. The man seems to ponder the question for a little while. “Seokmin.” He says it with a finality that makes it hard not to believe him despite the obvious hesitancy. Anyone can see it’s a fake name. 

“That’s a beautiful name.” Is what he finds himself saying instead. However he can’t find it in himself to question it when Seokmin returns the compliment with a smile that threatens to knock the air out of him.

“So Jaehyun.” Goosebumps. “You’ve tricked me into spending all my money in one night.” Seokmin glances up at him with mischief heavy in his voice. “How are you going to make up for it?”

It’s an admirable display of human strength that Jaehyun doesn’t immediately swallow his tongue when Seokmin starts playing with his rings; long fingers brushing against Jaehyun’s.

He chokes out a quiet _“dinner?”,_ before catching himself. He can do better than this. He puts on what he knows is his most charming smile and tries again. “Can I buy you dinner some time?” Well, at least this time Seokmin hears him. 

Seokmin already has his phone number scribbled down by the time he answers, sliding it across the table, instantly more valuable to Jaehyun than the plastic chips he’s been pushing towards him all night. “Pick me up at 8 tomorrow.”

Jaehyun assumes he must have blacked out for a second because Seokmin practically disappears as soon as he leaves the table, with nothing more but a wink over his shoulder. There’s an uncomfortable prickling feeling under his skin that urges him to question everything that just happened, but Jaehyun is too busy thanking his lucky stars that tomorrow is his only night off this week.

☈

When Jaehyun gets behind the wheel of his pickup, he isn't sure if it’s nerves or the steadily brewing storm that makes him feel like he's buzzing. The air smells like ozone when he takes a steadying breath, letting the humid air fill his lungs, tasting the promise of thunder and lightning on his tongue. He pulls out of the drive and isn’t all that surprised to see the goofy grin being reflected back at him in the rear view mirror; it would be a lie to say that this isn’t the most exciting thing to happen to him in months. 

The address Seokmin texted him after his shift is only a 20 minute drive away from the strip, but still far enough that when Jaehyun pulls up outside the run down motel, he’s surrounded completely by barren Nevada desert. Neon lights from the sign cast a magenta glow and clash against the horizon, painted a deep orange by the sunset. There are dark clouds rolling in and Jaehyun gives himself a mental pat on the back for throwing in umbrella in his truck before he left. Seokmin never told him which room he’s staying in so Jaehyun sends a text to say he’s arrived and waits, nervous fingers tapping against his steering wheel. 

He distracts himself from the butterflies in his stomach by watching the purple mass of storm roll it’s way slowly across the sky, covering the dessert in early night. When the first low rumble of thunder crashes through the clouds, he can’t help but mourn the picnic dinner he’s been planning since Seokmin left his table last night; they were going to watch the sunset from the top of the Four Seasons. It’s not accessible to the public, so he had to bribe the oversized concierge to sneak him a set of keys for the roof. He wonders if the Mingyu will still make him go camping next month if he doesn’t even get to use them. Disappointment churns in his chest until he remembers his equally sunlit date, maybe just going to a restaurant won’t be so bad. 

The first raindrops start pattering against Jaehyun’s windscreen and he smiles despite himself, thinking about the smell of cool rain on hot earth. Suddenly there’s movement in his periphery, and Jaehyun stretches across the passenger seat to manually unlock the door, sitting back and expecting to see Seokmin making his way over. Instead, the looming neon sign, which is the only source of light now, flickers once before dying. He can’t see a thing. Instincts kick in and Jaehyun switches on his headlights just in time to see two figures running towards his truck; there’s a loud crash as something gets thrown in the truck bed; before he can begin to panic, the passenger door opens. 

Now he’s panicking. If he had time, maybe he would kick himself for not giving into suspicion when he waited in the middle of nowhere for almost half an hour with no response to his text messages. In a moment of clarity, Jaehyun calculates whether he could fight whoever is trying to get in, maybe push them back out and leave as quickly as he can, but then a second person is climbing through the sunroof and he considers throwing himself out of the car instead. Before Jaehyun could so much as yell at the intruders, lightning cuts across the sky, catching the edges of Seokmin’s face.

“Drive!” 

☈

He doesn’t know how long he’s been driving for. When Seokmin had barked his orders, he didn’t think twice before he threw the truck into reverse, speeding away until the motel became a shrinking darkness in his rear view mirror. Adrenaline is still coursing through his system so violently he swears he can feel it burning in his bloodstream. His passengers haven't said a word to him since they left the neon lights behind, speaking only to each other with harsh whispers in a language he doesn’t understand; sentences punctuated by thunder and lightning crashing to earth around them. All the while, Jaehyun just stares ahead, too scared to breathe never mind ask questions- he assumes they’ll give him a destination sooner or later and he wonders, not for the first time, whether it’s safer to head towards the nearest police station, or to follow their orders. 

After what feels like an hour of aimless driving, Jaehyun feels himself take what must be his first breath since they passed the last gas station. Every one of his muscles are strung taut with tension, the blue electricity that zips through the air is just as present in his veins. There’s a part of him that wants to pretend he’s alone in the car, maybe try to relax, but he can’t ignore the eyes boring holes into the side of his head. 

“You can stop here.”

The voice was calm but sudden, startling Jaehyun enough that he loses his grip on the steering wheel; truck swerving off the tarmac before coming to a screeching halt. It’s unsettling how normal Seokmin sounds despite everything else he’s done to defy Jaehyun’s expectations. He breathes hard. Blood pumping in his head drowned out the yelling- although he’s not sure if it was coming from him or his passengers, now too scared to look at anything besides the redness slowly returning to his knuckles.

The world feels eerily quiet as Jaehyun tunes back into his surroundings. Once again he lets himself imagine that he’s alone, only the Milky Way stretching about him for company. He does this until he can feel his nerves settle, until he can start to hear again.

“Jaehyun.” Seokmin’s voice sounds dampened as if he’s calling to him from outside the truck. The steady thumping of his heart rate subsides and suddenly everything feels too in focus, Seokmin’s previously sweet voice scratching against the inside of his skull. Pain is what finally pulls him out of his daze, pain and a piercing pair of blue eyes.

“Jaehyun, do you know where we are?”

He lets the words envelope him where he’s anchored back in reality. It surprises him more than anything else that he does, in fact, know where they are.

“We’re somewhere on the 95,” Seokmin regards him with complete blankness, as if waiting for him to use a language he understands, “probably just outside of Boulder City.” His own voice sounds rough and foreign in his ears: he was definitely the one screaming at their almost crash.

“How far are we from the rift?” There is an unexpected edge of worry in Seokmin’s voice as he keeps his eyes trained on the storm clouds that are catching up on them again. 

“The rift?” Jaehyun might have started crying right then and there if he wasn’t immediately filled with anger instead. The events of the past hour, the fear and confusion, comes crashing down on him all at once. “What the hell is the rift?! What is happening?!” 

Even Jaehyun is surprised by his own outburst, hitting the truck horn to punctuate his yelling. Seokmin’s eyes are comically wide and the sight of them frustrates Jaehyun even more because how dare he be the scared one. He’s about to start making accusations when a hand grasps onto his shoulder, his blood running cold at the touch.

“He means the Grand Canyon.”

It’s the first time he’s actually looked at the other presence in the truck with them. The unnamed passenger doesn’t look much older than him; handsome if Jaehyun had to be objective, but there’s something about the sharpness of his features that feels deeply unnatural compared to Seokmin. Sharp eyes, sharp jaw, sharp teeth. Jaehyun feels himself jerk away as lightning cuts across his vision, can feel the panic brewing in his chest as he takes in the shock of platinum blonde hair and- and round cheeks. The man is smiling at him, soft and reassuring, nothing out of the ordinary. Jaehyun blinks, not quite believing what he’s seeing; he could have sworn he was facing a monster just moments ago. 

“Babe, you were right. He is very pretty.”

Alarm bells blare all around him as Jaehyun tries to process everything that’s happening. Thunder is still rumbling overhead, pounding in symphony with Jaehyun’s rabbiting heartbeat. He curses himself for the way his cheeks heat up at the compliment despite the fear pulsing in his chest. 

“Why do you need to go to the canyon?” It's embarrassing how breathless he sounds when he asks: “And who are you?”. 

The man just smirks at him in response- he can almost picture the fang-like teeth he thought he saw. He shifts his attention to Seokmin, practically purring at him from the backseat, “What does he think your name is, baby?” 

White hot anger threatens to sever Jaehyun at the seams. “Shut up!” He’s been forced to go on the run with two strangers without a single explanation or seemingly any choice to decline. “Tell me the truth or I’m not going anywhere.” 

Any pretence of friendliness or charm vanishes from the strangers face when he bristles at his words, grabbing Jaehyun by the collar. “I don’t expect you to understand, but surely you’re intelligent enough to see that you don’t have a choice.” 

What unnerves Jaehyun most about the statement is the feeling of cold breath on his face. He knows he needs to get out of his grip but all he can do is watch, slack jawed, as purple electricity sparks within the man’s irises. Jaehyun’s own anger is now staring back at him with a ferocity that sets his insides on fire. “I heard you’ve been flirting with my boyfriend, Jaehyun. Escorting us to the rift is the least you could do, considering I haven’t killed you yet.” 

The louder the man speaks, the more his voice crackles in Jaehyun’s ears. As Jaehyun struggles in his hold, he can feel the way a current is slowly unfurling onto his skin from the point where the man’s fingers are pressed against his neck. Before panic can settle in there’s a strong hand on the man’s wrist.

“Seokmin. I told him my name is Seokmin,” says a voice from next to him. The name sounds light in Seokmin’s mouth but the stranger pulls away from him as if a weight has just been dropped between them. Betrayal flashes in purple eyes and before he can blink, the man pulls himself up through the sunroof and swings down into the truck bed with a metallic thump. 

He doesn’t realise how heavily he’s breathing until there’s a reassuring hand on his arm.

“I’m sorry,” Seokmin’s words are laced with regret, but at whose expense, he’s not sure, “there isn’t a lot I can tell you right now.” 

Jaehyun rubs at his eyes, a hopeless attempt at trying to stop frustration from bleeding out. He waits for the static in his vision to fade away; lets himself look at Seokmin properly then, almost flinching at the sight of the golden man. It’s a lot to make sense of the image in front of him; an overwhelming feat to attribute the anxiety anchored in his chest, to a smile he’s thus far only associated with sunsets. Seokmin winces, a pained expression flashing over his face. 

“Please, Jaehyun”, something in him aches with the knowledge that his name has never sounded this precious on anyone else’s tongue, “I will explain later but we need to go. Now.”

It should be concerning how quickly Seokmin is able to calm him down, terrifying how badly he wants to help him despite everything. 

“We’ve been driving in the wrong direction,” Jaehyun sighs. 

Seokmin’s eyes widen in panic as he stares over his shoulder at the silhouette in the rear windshield. “So we have to go back?”, it is a question they both know the answer to, nonetheless, Seokmin seems to be pleading for another option anyway. 

“Yeah, head back up the 95, past the dam. It’s the fastest way to the canyon,” Jaehyun explains, watching Seokmin closely for any tell tale signs of why they’re in such a rush. 

All at once, the world is set alight with the reminder of the storm they’ve managed to outrun so far. The dots connect in Jaehyun’s mind when Seokmin cowers in his seat. “You’re scared of the storm.”

He doesn’t expect Seokmin to scoff at him. “There’s nothing to fear about a storm, Jaehyun,” Seokmin smirks. The sudden change in tone is a whiplash inducing departure from just moments ago when Seokmin was more nerves than man. “A storm is what? Rain, wind, a little bit of electricity?” 

Seokmin’s eyes flit towards the rear view mirror as he utters his last point. As if on cue, thunder cracks and light bursts through the truck windows, painting an infinitely darker expression on Seokmin’s face. “You should be more worried about what it’s distracting you from.”

☈

Jaehyun stares out in front of him, view restricted to the stretched circles of tarmac illuminated by the truck’s headlights. It required a little more coaxing but eventually he agreed to take them to their so- called ‘rift’. So that is how Jaehyun finds himself cruising through a storm at almost midnight- the blinking dashboard clock informs him- on a Thursday night. 

Some time in the last 30 minutes, a warm and humid rain had started falling again. The sound of light pattering against the windshield has almost lulled him into a state of pseudo calmness- an inconsistency compared to the way the clouds flash violent purples and silvers in the distance ahead of them. Jaehyun can’t help but chuckle at the comedic juxtaposition of drizzling rain in the face of a storm. However, when he catches a glimpse of Seokmin gazing serenely out of the passenger side window, he thinks that maybe it isn’t such an unlikely phenomenon, especially not with the presence of his _boyfriend,_ heavy and volatile in the bed of his truck. 

When Jaehyun didn’t want to budge, wary of their plans, Seokmin had confided that the man’s name is Soonyoung; as a peace offering of sorts. There is something unnerving about having a name to attach to the person; humanises him in a way that Jaehyun’s survival instincts tell him he shouldn’t. If Jaehyun has to admit that Soonyoung is a real person then he also has to think about how tightly the man’s leather trousers stretch across his thighs. 

Seokmin stirs then shuffles around in his seat so he’s regarding Jaehyun out of the corner of his eye. 

“You’re being very loud.” Seokmin mumbles, although there’s no air of annoyance in the words. 

Jaehyun’s hand flies to his mouth: delayed damage control. “I’m so sorry”, he can feel the blush crawl onto his cheeks, “I didn’t mean to say it out loud.”

When Seokmin raises an eyebrow at him, Jaehyun panics again, almost biting his tongue in the process. “Not that I should have been thinking about it any-”

“No, you’re right, his ass does look incredible.” Seokmin interrupts him nonchalantly, settling back in his seat. 

Jaehyun’s jaw clamps shut at Seokmin’s brashness, immediately focusing his attention on the road again. He didn’t even realise that was a thought he had and he blanches at the possibility that he might have been spouting all kinds of nonsense; a side effect of the most adrenaline inducing hours of his life. He wonders whether he should apologise again, but when he hazards a glance at the man, Seokmin has closed his eyes as if to take a nap. The only indication that he hasn’t fallen asleep yet is the barely concealed grin playing on his lips. 

☈

Time feels like waves washing too slowly onto the shore; it’s still moving as it should but it feels sluggish, like they’re wading through water. When the first signs for the Hoover Dam start appearing along the highway, Jaehyun can’t help but feel that something isn’t right. A condition of living in Nevada his whole life is that he knows these roads like the back of his hand, knows that with the speed they’ve been travelling at, they should have passed the dam a while back. 

Jaehyun reaches over and carefully shakes Seokmin awake by his shoulder. His movements are gentle so as not to scare Seokmin but Jaehyun can’t ignore the similarities to how you would approach a venomous snake: with caution. Seokmin doesn’t stir and Jaehyun is about to try waking him again, when a bolt of lighting strikes the back of the truck in a collision of light and sound. The vehicle swerves violently off the tarmac and barrels straight into a metal pole. 

Seokmin, now wide awake, flings himself around in his seat. _Soonyoung_. When Jaehyun catches his eye, he expects to see fear or worry etched onto Seokmin’s features, not the kind of bored expression you’d expect from a long-suffering spouse. Before Jaehyun has a chance to question it, Soonyoung reappears through the sunroof. A shock of blonde hair sways down into the truck from where Soongyoung is dangling upside down like a bat; greeting them with an impish grin. 

“I thought we agreed to try and be as inconspicuous as possible,” Seokmin sounds more tired than angry and Soonyoung must realise this because he reaches a tender hand towards Seokmin’s cheek. 

“I know we did but baby you should have felt the air out there,” Soonyoung reasons. 

Jaehyun is completely lost, hopping out of the truck to check it’s condition rather than bare witness to whatever was happening inside. Despite how the impact had felt, there wasn’t any major damage, a dented bumper at most. Jaehyun lets a hand run over his face as he exhales a steadying breath. There’s a part of him that just wants to yell into the night and see if he ran, whether he’d be able to catch up with the sound of his own voice. Then he thinks about lightning eyes and a golden smile and he has to physically restrain from kicking himself for what he does instead. 

Jaehyun slips back into the driver’s seat and quietly waits for someone to tell him the next course of action. When he’s met with silence, he turns to see Seokmin gesturing wildly at Soonyoung, seemingly communicating through raised eyebrows. Soonyoung doesn’t respond to any of Seokmin’s efforts, causing the latter to let out a defeated sigh. 

“Do it.” 

Soonyoung seems to want to argue but the glare Seokmin levels him with, send a chill down Jaehyun’s spine by proxy. 

“Fine,” Soonyoung huffs, depositing himself upright on the back seat, “I’m sorry for making you crash your car.” 

It takes a moment for Jaehyun to understand what it was that Soonyoung was admitting to. 

“This is your fault?” He doesn't try to hide the disbelief in his voice, “How?”

Unexpectedly, Soonyoung brightens at his question, shooting a hopeful look at Seokmin.

“Come on. Please?”

Seokmin is clearly hesitant to give into Soonyoung’s pleas, staring him down as best he can but his resolve wains when Soonyoung’s tone becomes less whiny and more earnest.

“I’ve never been able to play with a source this powerful before,” Soonyoung, honest to goodness, pouts at Seokmin. For a moment, Jaehyun wonders how they ever resolve conflicts when a bat of an eyelash from either of them is potent enough to fell an army of grown men. When Seokmin still doesn’t give in, Soonyoung prepares himself to bring out the big guns.

Soonyoung tips Seokmin’s chin up delicately with his index finger, voice brimming with sweetness, “Pretty please, baby.” 

Perhaps Jaehyun should roll his eyes at the speed of which Seokmin folds like a house of cards, or the sickly saccharine nature of what he had just witnessed. Maybe Jaehyun would have if he wasn’t fighting the urge to ask Soonyoung if there was anything he could do for him, too. 

Seokmin giggles, “Looks like we’re taking a detour.”

☈

As Jaehyun stares down at the Hoover Dam, he develops a new appreciation for the sheer scale of it. Seeing a photograph doesn’t fully compare to the experience of standing at it’s very edge.

Wind whips at his hair and clothes, threatening to knock him off of his precarious perch. Despite the fiery panic climbing up his ribcage, Jaehyun’s mind stays calm, anchored down much in the same way that Jaehyun is; Seokmin and Soonyoung, on either side of him, holding firmly on. 

Jaehyun thinks about what Soonyoung had told him: lightning doesn’t hurt, as long as he’s willing to trust them. He thinks about how he watched pure electricity arc between Soonyoung’s fingers, purple light reflecting in his eyes. Jaehyun takes a breath and a small voice in his head says that it may be his last. Normally a thought like that is enough to scare anyone, not just Jaehyun, but there’s something reassuring about facing the impossible, while being held down by impossibilities. 

When the first bolt scratches its mark into the sky, Jaehyun’s world is set ablaze. All at once his bones turn to lead and yet it’s the lightest he’s ever felt; freest he’s ever felt. Blood feels like fire pumping through his veins. It burns. It burns so brightly, Jaehyun swears he can see every star, every constellation, every galaxy simultaneously behind his closed eyelids. 

The second strike changes things. This time Jaehyun can feel how electrons kiss his skin; how lightning runs its sparking fingers through his hair. If the first hit was pain, this one is pleasure. Jaehyun doesn’t just feel light, he feels like _the_ light; every point where he can feel Soonyoung pressed against his back, a supernova. He reaches without thinking, curling his fingers into soft white hair, the sensation so blissful against his skin. Soonyoung pulls him closer with and arm around his waist. Jaehyun thinks about his last breath, and he realises that he was right about impossibilities; this is worth trading it for. 

At first it feels like every one of Jaehyun’s senses become hyper focused from the current but after, he doesn’t know how long, of being in a state of complete euphoria; he realises all he can do is _feel_. This is why he doesn't expect a foreign voice to fill his head. 

“How do you feel, Jaehyun?” The voice sounds like Seokmin, as sweet and soothing as honey on his tongue. 

Jaehyun can’t explain it but all of a sudden he thinks about how the man’s eyes form beautiful crescents when he smiles and the way he smells like violets and Jaehyun is overcome with overwhelming elation that Seokmin is here, wants him to experience the world like this too. 

“I feel _everything_ ,'' Jaehyun thinks, and then pauses, “Can you feel it too?” 

“I could, if you let me.” There’s something divine in the way Seokmin’s voice sings out in his skull. It feels so right.

Jaehyun can sense that the wind is no longer assaulting him like before and the weight has been lifted off of his feet; they must have moved him somewhere more comfortable. Jaehyun can still feel the warm press of Soonyoung’s chest against his back; revels in it. However, now there’s a warm hand against his cheek. Seokmin. 

“How?” Jaehyun reaches out for Seokmin.

“You could kiss me.”

The voice is so much softer this time. Jaehyun wonders if he can feel the words just from Seokmin’s breath against his neck. Every nerve in Jaehyun’s body sings at the suggestion; pulls him ever closer to that ray of light, that impossible man. 

Then Jaehyun feels the anchor around his waist and he has to ask, “Is that okay?”

This time when the answer comes, Jaehyun is sure he can’t hear a thing. There’s just the slightest movement; the soft brush of lips against his own. A silent “yes”. 

In a single moment, the world around Jaehyun collides and collapses in on itself until it's small enough to fit into that one place, the point where all he can feel Seokmin’s lips on his own. Jaehyun lets his fingers curl into the hairs at Seokmin’s nape; can feel how raw power surges through him and into Seokmin’s pliant mouth. The voltage wanes and waxes like the tides, more an ocean current than an electrical one. It flows through them, a complete circuit. The sensation is so overpowering that in that moment, Jaehyun dissolved into nothingness; every atom dispersing into the ether; a blissful non-existence. 

Jaehyun finds peace in this nowhere place; a place where his formless being can stretch out like a galaxy, infinitely boundless. A place where only the smell of violets can cut through its relentless vacuum. 

There’s a flash of light, and below him, gravity opens its gaping maw. The grip of the force pulls Jaehyun back down to Earth. For just a moment, it anchors him to the feeling of his bottom lip between Seokmin’s teeth. Then, without warning, Jaehyun keeps falling; lower and lower until there’s just darkness left. 

☈

Soft lips against his neck is the first thing Jaehyun is aware of when consciousness seeps back into him. It’s the faintest sensation but so potent, it brings Jaehyun crashing back into reality. He can feel the strong hands on his hips but when Jaehyun looks down, he’s sat in the driver’s seat of his truck. Memories of what feels like that last century washes back over him. There’s no explanation of what he knows he experienced or what is happening right now, but Jaehyun can feel his pulse fluttering under the phantom ministrations. It’s possible that the warm breath against his collarbone is just a remnant of utter bliss. 

Jaehyun lets warmth and comfort envelop him like a blanket; usher him back from the edge of potential panic. Slowly, he takes in his surroundings and notices that Seokmin isn’t in the passengers seat. He briefly entertains the thought that maybe he just imagined them but no imaginary is powerful enough to replicate the urgency of warm palms running up his thigh. Jaehyun doesn’t expect it when a sated little laugh leaves his chest. He doesn't think he’s ever felt this good in his life. He can’t say exactly where he is - still Nevada he hopes - but he recognises that unexplainable feeling in the depths of his soul that tells him he’s home. 

Dazed and satisfied, Jaehyun lies back in his seat, lets his eyes drift across the diluted Milky Way through his windshield, only to be blinded by the sight of the sun in the rear view mirror. 

Seokmin has his back pressed up against the rear passenger window, Soonyoung slotted perfectly between his thighs. Two breathtaking celestial beings, intertwined together as if they have been from the beginning of time. They’re a sight to behold, but like any star, you shouldn’t look at it too long. If only Jaehyun had learned this sooner because it’s with a dawning horror that he realises he doesn’t just see everything, but _feels_ the fingers Soonyoung has nestled in strands on golden hair; that he can taste it when Soonyoung licks into Seokmin’s mouth. 

Envy sprouts in him like a thorned rose, cutting his insides to shreds, watered by the panic that begins to consume Jaehyun. He doesn’t even know what exactly he’s jealous of. Before Jaehyun can react- yell? cry?- Seokmin’s eyes fly open, instantly connecting with his own. 

“You’re awake,” Seokmin’s exclamation sounds like more of a warning than a greeting.

Soonyoung jumps at his words. At least he has the decency to look sheepish when he notices Jaehyun is watching them, but he doesn’t move away from Seokmin. Jaehyun can still feel a burning handprint on his lower back. 

Overwhelmed with emotion and unwilling to deal with any of it, Jaehyun turns back to the wheel and starts the truck. Before anyone can say anything else, Jaehyun slams a foot down on the gas, tyres screeching as they pull away.

☈

Betrayal and grief taste bitter on Jaehyun’s tongue as he gets out of the truck. He lets the door slam close behind him, a wordless statement that he wants to be left alone. As he trudges up to the door of the all night gas station, he remembers something his mother used to make him do as a child. Jaehyun breathes in through his nose and tries to imagine the anger flow out of him as he exhales. 

Seokmin’s shocked face when he realised Jaehyun could feel everything is burned into his mind. Soonyoung claimed that the lightning must have forced some kind of temporary bond; that nothing like that has happened to them before. Their apologies and explanations had the opposite than expected result on Jaehyun, who only continued to marinate in his frustration. However, it’s not exceptionally unreasonable for anyone to be angry when they’ve been told their brief feeling of belonging was an illusion.

Artificial light is shining through the windows of the small convenience store attached to the station. When he pushes through the door, he’s greeted by a part-time worker with a mop of pink hair. The bright colour is such an unexpected contrast with the dullness of the man’s surroudnings, that Jaehyun smiles despite himself. 

Jaehyun takes his time browsing the aisles of the quiet shop, occasionally glancing up at the attendant that, up until a few seconds ago, was too preoccupied with his phone to notice Jaehyun watching him. This time, when Jaehyun peeks at him over a stand of Doritos, the man is already looking at him. Surprised, Jaehyun fumbles a bag of peanuts and clumsily swoops down to pick it back up. He can feel the way his cheeks redden when the attendant rewards him with an amused smile. Jaehyun counts his losses and heads towards the till with an armful of the random assortment of snacks he’s been picking up . 

The pink haired cashier is admittedly quite adorable and when he smiles at Jaehyun, he can’t help but compare him to a rabbit. 

“Long night?” Jaehyun searches the man’s chest for a name tag, “Doyoung”.

“Could be worse,” Doyoung’s lashes flutter as he gives Jaehyun an unsubtle once over, “The time passes quicker with a little entertainment.”

The two flirt for a little while, a welcome distraction from the concoction of feelings that have been churning in Jaehyun’s stomach. Jaehyun thinks briefly of Seokmin and Soonyoung waiting for him in the truck and tries to quash any hint of guilt before it can show on his face. They don’t deserve his guilt. 

Jaehyun fears he’s been thinking out loud again because something peculiar flashes over Doyoung’s expression, eyes darting towards where Jaehyun had parked his truck next to the furthest gas pump. Doyoung doesn’t finish his sentence then, instead making his way towards the glass door. Before Jaehyun can question it, there’s a blinding flash of light. Then nothing. 

☈

Reality comes to Jaehyun in fragments. His first coherent thought after the explosion is that he ought to stop waking up like this. Everything from that moment on exists only as snippets of lucidity: his head cradled in Seokmin’s lap; whispered explanations of magic and enemies you can never see coming; a view of the stars through the back window of his truck. 

Jaehyun’s timeline doesn’t become cohesive again until he’s looking out over the expanse of the Grand Canyon; a violent rip in the Earth and his mind. 

When he looks up at Soonyoung he can see where moonlight catches the tip of pointed ears. The sight of it doesn’t sit uncomfortably in Jaehyun’s consciousness like he expects it to. The usual gut reaction to something unnatural never comes. Jaehyun looks at Soonyoung and he understands, understands what he is. Seokmin brushes up against his shoulder, offers Jaehyun a small smile when he turns his attention towards him. Jaehyun’s ears are still ringing from the impact but he _knows_ his sight isn’t flawed when Seokmin’s smile broadens, revealing a row of pointed teeth. They’re fae. 

That’s what they told him in his state of semi-consciousness, staring up at the sky and listening to stories about royalty and rivalries; dark fae and frost elves; a fallen knight and a stolen word. In one of those moments of wakefulness, Seokmin even admitted that he could hear Jaehyun’s thoughts. He can’t explain why that brings him comfort now.

He has fleeting recollections of disdain in the face of something he doesn’t understand. When Jaehyun crosses his arms to shelter from the wind he can feel the bruise on his forearm where he tried to escape from Seokmin’s grip. They had explained it to him differently then; appealed to the side of him that studied Physics for four years, only to end up as a casino worker. The ‘rift’ is a rip in Jaehyun’s reality- a metaphysical black hole- and its centre is chaos, entirely inescapable. Jaehyun thinks about how their time has been passing independently of anything else; how the digital clock on his dashboard will no longer coincide the watch he left at home. It makes sense that time would dilate further the closer they get to the rift, slow down, leave Nevada behind. It makes sense.

He watches as Soonyoung and Seokmin move to stand at the edge of the precipice. Soonyoung has a large sword slung over his shoulder, the blade glistening like pure ice. Carefully carved serpents coil around the base of the hilt, poised to strike. The image sparks another fragment of memory- a quest from their king, a fearsome fae ruler they call Hyungwon. 

An unexpected thought worms its way into Jaehyun’s mind then.

“You could drive the whole time,” Jaehyun points out, “why bring me with?”

A sharp grin cuts across Seokmin’s face.

“Because, pretty boy,” Soonyoung starts, “we wanted to.”

They’re the last words Jaehyun hears as the two plummet into the canyon. Panic begins to swallow Jaehyun whole until he remembers why they’re there. They’re going home. Once again that feeling of grief, of mourning for something he never had in the first place, threatens to choke him where he stands. 

But.

They said they chose him. 

They _want_ him. 

Jaehyun thinks about getting back in his truck, driving back to his apartment and getting a few hours of sleep before his shift tomorrow. The slot machines are practically already chiming in his head. He thinks about lightning and violets and more excitement than he’s ever experienced in his entire life; more than he ever would again. He thinks about all these things and before he realises it, he’s freefalling. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed my humble offering to the seokjae tag and the terrifying possibilities that come with a soonseokjae tag being in existence...
> 
> This is the first time I've ever tried writing anything over 200 words and I really couldn't have done it without the wonderful Ayesha and Beth holding my hand through the entire thing. Thank you for being the best betas a very overwhelmed writer could ask for and for baring with me while I navigate this, frankly feral, idea. Your advice and encouragement means the world to me and I love you both to the moon and back. 
> 
> Thank you again to the incredible mod team and everyone else who had to suffer through being shown snippets of this while I was slowly drowning in my inability to keep a secret <3
> 
> Please come find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lovefoolthatsme) for some art and more general nonsense!


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